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Oct. 26/71
Dr Sir
I enclose a cheque for £50 wch will nearly defray the expse of printg –
I thk expect tht W. & N. will be able to sell the whole impressn – not immdly – but in the course of a year or two. (k) I am vy much pleased with the beautiful photograph in the Frontispiece, & shd be glad to be acquainted wth Mr S Thompson who executed it. – Perhaps y can ask him whether from his negatives, he ever prints positives on glass – I have a fine collectn of such, but many photographers do not cultivate that branch of the art. –
The great expense of printing, leads me to recommend, that future publicatns shd be
(k) The parcel came safe t hand this morng
executed done by means of Photo-lithography wch is cheap – All you would have to do if working in that way, wd be to write out the text fairly, and you can have it reproduced in facsimile at small expense. – The Mssr Chabas prints his Egyptian works by lithography – not photo-lithography but either way wd answer – The latter photo is less troublesome, as you write on common paper & not on prepared paper – I like vy much your explann of the sign <cuneiform text> as a double <cuneiform text> in an Enclosure. I have lookd for this sign in Menges Menants gt work p. 300 but he does not give this explan of it – Your list of Phonetic values will be vy useful – Copious as it is it will fm time to time require addns I have just glanced at it – Under the heading <cuneiform text> I miss <cuneiform text> wch occurs freqly – but I do not understd it – The most obvs expn is ‘female voice’ but that does not suit the context.
I have prepared a paper for the B A Socy at their first meeting <illegible deletion> – I sent the MS to Harrison Oct 9th, but he has not yet sent a proof I hope he will not cause me to be too late with the paper
<expanded version>
October 26, 1871
I enclose a cheque for fifty pounds which will nearly defray the expense of printing –
I think expect that Williams & Norgate <1> will be able to sell the whole impression – not immediately – but in the course of a year or two. The parcel came safe to hand this morning and I am much pleased with the beautiful photograph in the Frontispiece, and should be glad to be acquainted with Mr Stephen Thompson <2> who executed it. – Perhaps you can ask him whether from his negatives, he ever prints positives on glass – I have a fine collection of such, but many photographers do not cultivate that branch of the art. –
The great expense of printing, leads me to recommend, that future publications should be executed done by means of Photo-lithography which is cheap – All you would have to do if working in that way, would be to write out the text fairly, and you can have it reproduced in facsimile at small expense. – The Mssr Chabas <3> prints his Egyptian works by lithography – not photo-lithography but either way would answer – The latter photo is less troublesome, as you write on common paper and not on prepared paper – I like very much your explanation of the sign <cuneiform text> as a double in an Enclosure. I have looked for this sign in Menges Menant’s <4> great work page three-hundred but he does not give this explanation of it – Your list of Phonetic values will be very useful – Copious as it is it will from time to time require additions I have just glanced at it – Under the heading <cuneiform text> I miss <cuneiform text> which occurs frequently – but I do not understand it – The most obvious explanation is ‘female voice’ but that does not suit the context.
I have prepared a paper for the British Assyriological Society at their first meeting <illegible deletion> – I sent the manuscript to Harrison <5> October ninth, but he has not yet sent a proof I hope he will not cause me to be too late with the paper.
Notes:
1. This London house published Smith’s History of Assubanyat in 1871.
2. Stephen Thompson, British Museum photographer & traveller.
3. François Joseph Chabas (1717–1882), French Egyptologist.
4. Joachim Menant (1820–1899), French Assyriologist & magistrate.
5. Harrison & Sons, Printers, London.